


Protectors of Thedas

by SenShadow



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Warden (Dragon Age), Dalish Mage Warden, Gen, King Alistair, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 18:45:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7856887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SenShadow/pseuds/SenShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"There's something to be said about heroes; whether they take up the title voluntarily or reluctantly their choices and actions are felt across the ages. Even as time erases their faces and names from the people's memories the sacrifices made, the people saved, and the ruins of battles fought for rulers long gone live on. I wonder child, how will the fade remember your tale? Will your story live long, preserved by your people's history? Did you make the right choices for the future to come? Only time will tell, until then fight well Iveani."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protectors of Thedas

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will be weekly if not sooner! Feedback would be awesome. This is my first published work on here, depending on how it goes you can expect more in the future. I'm open to requests, just give me some time to get a schedule cemented. Enjoy!

9:30 Dragon, Wintermarch - Ferelden's Brecilian Forest

The blinding sun glaring down on us is deceiving marker of the temperature today, it does nothing to warm our frost covered limbs and only makes our trek on hardened icy mud all the more difficult. My breath creates giant clouds that drift up as we continue walking the path away from the clan's camp. Tamlen and I make our way onward toward the inner forest, keeping vigilant hoping to spot some game to bring back to camp for First Day celebrations. 

Our newest clan member Pol was the one to encourage us to celebrate the holiday. He came into our clan after escaping Denerim's Alienage after being sentenced to hanging for stealing from a noble. In reality the item he was 'stealing' was a dagger that had belonged to his family but the nobleman had decided it was too fine for a 'knife-ear' servant to keep and stole it from him. No one had helped Pol and in making his escape we found him while we were heading further south, and since then the sweet young man has found peace and family with the clan.

Clan Sabrae had decided to move from the Free Marches down into the colder country of Ferelden to get away from slavers traveling down from Tevinter. The clan waited far too long to leave in order to save everyone from the slavers however; mamae, our First died saving us from a life of slavery, which surely would be a fate worse than death for us all. During the following Arlathvenn, the gathering of Dalish clans, Merrill of the Alerion clan from Nevarra and the daughter of my father's brother became our new first. 

Merrill had tearfully bade farewell to her parents, as their only child leaving her with clan Sabrae was difficult for them. But they were master craftsmen, makers of the finest weapons and armor for the clans, and needed to stay with clan Alerion. For Keeper Marethari believed me to young to become the First, she was right in appointing Merrill in hindsight.

"Hey Iveani, you done communing with the spirits?" Tamlen throws his arm over my shoulders as we trudge on, smiling down at me.

"Nope, considering they seem to have better conversational skills than you, cocky jerk. For all your bragging about how between the two of us you could bag the most game I'm seeing a distinct lack of kills from you."

"Hey now! That's completely unfair! It's not my fault the forest seems to be lacking in the game department, it's been almost unnaturally empty."

"Lacking does seem the fitting word for the situation."

"Oh haha, very funny. Especially since you lack any height."

"Please spare me the short jokes, I get enough from Haleir. He often tries to convince me that I might be half dwarf. Much to the dismay of my father and Eirlin."

"I might just have to start hanging out with your older brother more than, I've been running out of new material."

"Great, just what I needed more puns. How about you and I make a bet?"

"Go on, I'm listening."

"If I get more kills than you can't tease me about my height for the rest of the year."

"Well if I win I get a kiss on the lips."

"Cheeky bastard, well then you best keep up if you want that kiss."

I take off with my staff in hand leaving Tamlen behind, hearing him calling out 'no fair!' as I get a head start. Having older brothers taught me that sometimes cheating can be a good strategy if you want to win. As soon as I make some good distance I slow into a silent crawl, looking out for any signs of game in the area. After some searching I find some fresh halla tracks, I follow them to a small rapid that has remained unfrozen where one halla drinks from the fast moving waters. I quietly summon an arcane bow and take aim, having been raised by our clan's master bowman has taught me to refine my archery skills through magic. Holding my breath I take aim, and as I exhale I fire; a quick and painless death for the halla. I move towards its body bending down to cut and freeze the meat before safely securing it in my pack. Standing up I set off to see if I can find Tamlen to see how he has fared. Walking back onto the path I hear voices raised in dispute, making my way over to them I see Tamlen and three shems arguing.

"Tamlen! What's going on?" I draw my staff prepared for a fight.

"These shems are trespassing into our clan's land, this can't stand!"

The first man turns towards me, "We didn't mean to trespass we were just seeking out treasure, a traveler said that in a nearby cave that there was riches to be found in some old ruins."

"A likely story, Iveani what should we do with these fools?" Tamlen aims his bow toward the humans.

"I don't know... how about you tells us where the cave is and then you go as far away as you can from here and never return." 

"Deal! That place is cursed anyway with demons crawling all over the place. Here's the map, I don't need it anyhow, wouldn't go back if you paid me." The man tosses Tamlen the map, and the men run back towards the path to the human's village. 

"Well that certainly was interesting, but hey, free treasure map!" Tamlen proudly holds the map out for me to take. I grab and unravel it, the cave doesn't seem to far off from the path.

"I'm sincerely doubting the treasure part, the shems' might have been tricked by that traveler into buying a false map. They had came off as a wee bit touched in the head."

"Well we won't know by standing around talking about it, let's investigate this cave and see what it has to offer."

"Maybe we should wait Tamlen, go back to camp and at least let them know what we're doing."

"Pah, that would just be a waste of time. Besides it looks like it's not too far, what's the harm in seeing what's in it?"

"You just brought us bad luck by saying that you know..."

"Whatever, you coming or not? Don't tell me you bought that bullshit about a curse."

"No, not at all. After you then since you so eager to tempt fate."

"Fine, but when we bring not only game back but treasure? We'll be the talk of the clan for years!"

"You're just trying to deflect the fact that I won the bet with my halla kill, and you've only caught a nug." Jogging farther up head Tamlen calls back towards me,

"What was that I couldn't hear you, I'm on my way to becoming a treasure hunter!" 

"You big idiot, wait up!"

I run to catch up to him as he follows the map's path. After ten minutes of searching we reach the cave's entrance, it's much larger than we expected it to be. Sharing a look we both head down inside the cave. Not to long the cave walls become carved stonework and columned archways appear. The carvings and stonework look old and very strange, almost like a mixture of ancient elven carving and old Andrastian symbols. 

"Tamlen I don't think this is a simple cave ruin, I've never seen anything like it. Keeper Marethari should be told about this, before we go any farther."

"Nonsense, look we're already here why not explore before we head back so we have more to tell the Keeper?"

"Fine, but be on guard this place might be trapped, and is certainly crawling with spiders."

Tamlen and I slowly head further in disabling any traps as we go, and fighting off hordes of spiders, "Gross why'd it have to be spiders?" 

"It's your own fault Tamlen, you wanted to explore the creepy ruins by ourselves!" 

"Well, I still stand by my decision. Look there are some tombs and chests over here!"

True to his word we did find some coin, jewels, old armor and weapons throughout the tunnels. Tamlen looked smug as we loaded our packs with our spoils. As we went further in multi roomed corridor the air became more oppressive and the feeling of danger raised. Tamlen accidently touched one of the statutes while he was finishing looting a chest, corpses in their tombs began to spring to life around us. They seemed never-ending as we fought them back, I casted a barrier around us while we picked them off. Tamlen was running out of arrows by the time I lit up the last of the undead.

"Come on Tamlen, lets grab our packs and leave. It's too risky to continue without more of the clan."

"You have a point, okay let's go I think the exit's this way."

We walked back to where we came in and stopped. The halls had changed, nothing looked the same as when we last saw it.

"What the fuck happened?"

"Know clue, maybe it's some kind of spell. I could see if I could dispel it." 

I sent out strands of my magic, but the carved stone seemed to repel them. Dismayed I canceled my magic, and turned to Tamlen,

"No luck, the stone seems to be warded."

"Shit, I guess we'll have to wing it the old fashioned way. Try to stick to the left maybe we can find the exit that way." 

Tamlen and I followed the left route through the maze like ruins. We seemed to walk for hours before we came to a huge wooden door.

"Well that's new, certainly better than the endless hallways. But I don't remember there being a huge door at the entrance."

"Don't care, it beats more walking in circles," Tamlen swings opens the doors, and we step into the giant circular room. The only things in it are a round platform with a big engraved mirror at it's center and beyond the mirror a door behind it that looks like it might lead back to the forest. Tamlen steps up to the mirror to get a better look at it.

"Don't touch it! Everything in this place so far has been trapped or cursed. The big glowy mirror in the middle of the room doesn't exactly give me warm happy feelings either. Why don't we leave through that door and get back to the clan, it's been hours and I'm sure they're worried about us." 

"Iveani, I think you should see this. I swear it looks like something's moving in the mirror..."

As Tamlen gets closer the mirror to touch it a shock wave comes forth. The blast of magic next knocks me flat on my side, searching for Tamlen I can see something horrifying and beyond my scattered brains' comprehension reach through and grab Tamlen, dragging him violently into the mirror. His screams are the last thing I hear. The image of an older human in armor in my peripheral catches my eyes before everything I know is black and fire.


End file.
